Bowling pin base



June 1, 1965 K. A. HEBBLE BOWLING PIN BASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.16, 1960 Fig. 4

. Fig. 6

INVENT KEITH HEB E Fig. 3

M a/M ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. KEITH HEBBLE ATTORNEY June1965 K. A. HEBBLE BOWLING PIN BASE 'Filed Aug. 16, 1960 Fig. 9

United States Patent 3,186,713 BOWLZNG PEN IEASE Keith Allen Hebble,Arcade, N.Y., assignor to American lgdlachine 8: Foundry Company, acorporation of New ersey Filed Aug. 16, 1966, Ser. N 50,013 2 Claims.(Cl. 273-252) This invention relates to bowling pins and moreparticularly, to a novel improved durable base for bowling pins. Abowling pin is subjected to severe use from the battering of balls andother pins. One of the most pronounced areas of damage due to thestriking (direct and rebound) of one pin against another and against thebowling alley, and from being hit by the ball, is the butt end,especially the edge portion of the pin base, i.e. the annular segmentwhich forms a juncture between the side and bottom faces. rnercial pinsare now equipped with a wear-resisting base of tough plastic or otherdurable composition. Many of the arrangements employed comprise a basepiece placed in an undercut in the base and which encircles a projectingcore or shank portion of the pin. The base is secured by any of avariety of mean such as screws, adhesives or numerous lockingarrangements.

The difficulties of using base fittings known heretofore, resides in thecumbersome procedure needed to affix the base or in the difiicuity ofproviding an arrangement which dependably resists separation of the basepiece from the butt of the pin. No known prior means for fastening basesof this type has thus been entirely satisfactory.

For example, screws require considerable time to afiix to die base andloosen with dimensional or other changes in the wood. Adhesives, ifcompatible initially with both the pin butt composition and the baseinsert, have not proven satisfactory in use, e.g. adhesive bonds requirerelatively long periods to apply, they are messy, require considerablecuring times and also lose their adherence with dimensional changes ofwood. Also these compositions oftentimes contain ingredients which aredamaging to the plastic finish of the bowling pin.

In general the arrangement of the invention utilizes a main base pieceeasily inserted into the pin butt coupled with a locking ring of heat orchemically deformable material which when pressed home in abuttingrelationship to the main base piece seats itself in a circumferentiallocking groove in a manner securely holding not only itself but also themain base insert against removal or.

most effective use of available materials due to the problem encounteredin securing these pieces. First of all, it is desirable to provide abase insert arrangement that is self-contained i.e. requires noadhesive, screws, etc. The use of press-fitted bases is known. Thedifficulty with this type arrangement in the past, however, has been theuncertainty of the locking arrangement between the pin body and base.The insert itself while durable is often of such composition that itdoes not suitably adapt to permanent deformation when inserted in thepin body so that it can be secured tightly and permanently in the pinbody. Inserts of composition which do suitably conform, on the otherhand, are often not those best suited to resist the wearing and chippingoccasioned by the severe battering during normal use of bowling pins.{The present invention by employing a novel two piecestructure for thepinbase couples the most advantageous As a consequence, most co.l

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features of the best materials available. The annular Patented June '1,1965 'ice wearing area of the pin base may be formed ofdurable chip anddent resistant material having a permanently preformed contour, and thelocking ring, which cooperates therewith and locks the wearing member,may be formed of material readily conformable and hardenable in situ toprovide an extremely secure combined unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensiveeasily afiixed base of excellent durability. It is another object of theinvention to provide a base of novel arrangement combining optimumproperties, which afiords maximum durability, ease of afiixing to thebowling pin body and maximum security of the base against release frombeing struck. Other features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the description provided hereinafter proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view and shows the butt portion of a bowlingpin with the two piece base of the invention secured in positiontherein.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view and shows the butt portion of a bowlingpin with the main base piece in position and the locking ring prior tobeing press-fitted into locking position.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the butt portion of the pin showingthe undercut without the base inserts.

FIG. 4 illustrates in a crosssectional view the annular base piece whichforms the juncture of the side and bottom of the pin.

FIG. 5 shows in cross section a locking ring.

FIG. 6 is another cross sectional View of a pin butt portionillustrating a modified undercut.

FIG. 6a is a cross sectional view of a pin with the base in placeutilizing the modified undercut arrange: ment of FIG. 6 with the base ofFIG. 7 (slightly modilied) and the locking ring of FIG. 5. i

FIG. 7 shows in cross section a base piece employed with the pinembodiment illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates in cross section still another alternate pin buttundercut. p

FIG. 9 illustrates the two piece base assembly employed in conjunctionwith the undercut shown in FIG. 8 prior to insertion in the pin butt.

FIG. 10 illustrates the arrangement of the base of FIG. 9 inserted inthe butt'undercut of FIG. 8.

Referring in greater detail to the figures, the improved bowling pin, asprovided in the invention, comprises a wooden body'l of usual shape withthe butt comprising an undercut portion 2 forming a projecting cored.Abutting the core 4, a downwardly facing groove 5 isformed between acylindrical wall 3 and the core 4. Near the upper extremity of the core5, a locking groove 6 is provided.

As seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the base insert 10 is positioned in theundercut and the skirt portion thereof forms an extension of the bowlingpin'bottom 13 and side 14 at the juncture of the bottom surface and sidesurface of the pin. The base piece 10 is preferably formed of a durableimpact and chip resistant material. Any of the commercially availableresinous compositions having these properties such as nylon, isocyanateresins, polycarbonates, cellulose acetate butyrate, acet-al resin,marketed under the brand name Delr-in, ethyl cellulose, polyethylene,polypropylene, high-impact styrene-butadiene or styrenebutadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers and the like may be'used. In affixingthe base to the pin, more detail reference is made to FIGURES 3-5 of thedrawing. In FIGURE 3, the butt of the pin is shown with the cut outconfiguration prior to the assembly of the base components to the pin.The undercut comprises an annular face portion 2, a downwardly'facinggroove 5, the

projecting core 4 and the circumferential locking groove 6 formed in thecore 4. In attaching the base of the intWo piece 7 polymer art for thisurpose may be employed including various blends of suitable polymers ofthe type named hereinabove, e.g. ofolefins, vinyls, acrylics, styrenes,etc.

Prior to the insertion of the ring 17, the upper end 18 which isintended to enter the space formed between the core and the base pieceis heated or chemically softened to increase its plasticity andfiowability and is inserted while substantially deformable. Suilicientpressure is applied to the bottom 19 of ring member 17 to force theopposite deformable end 18 thereof to conform and fill the contour ofthe locking groove 6. Aiding the deformation,-so that the end .18 of thelocking ring forms a locking bead in the groove 6, is the upper endofthe base 10 comprising the wedge portion 16. Upon cooling, or hardeningthru chemical action, the tip 18 of the annular ring 17 retains itsshape within the locking groove 6. Shown in detail in FIGURE 4 is themain base piece comprising a skirt portion forming a shoulder 11 whichabuts the undercut shoulder 2 of the base and a collar portion 12. Theintegral wedge 16 directs thefdeformable tip 18 of the locking ring17-into the locking groove 6. It

is thus .seen, in accordance with the invention, that the up-' per tip18 only of the annular ring 17 is softened and only to the extent thatit deforms when firmly press-fitted to fill the locking groove 6. Theremainder of the locking ring 17 is kept relatively rigid as itispress-fitted into place. It should be noted that the preformed base 10apart from the locking ring 17 does not require that it be heated ordeformed in any manner in order to secure it in the butt of the pin.Because-the piece 10 in no way need be altered in its condition orshape, it may be formed of a material which is extremely durable, heatand/or chemically resistant and relatively inflexible, i.e. combiningthe optimum in desirable properties such as toughness, impactresistance, etc. be preformed from a thermosetting synthetic resin andset or hardened in a permanent shapewhich substantially precludesfiowability as distinguished from thermoplastic resins which softenunder heat and harder upon cooling.

, Shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 is a modified embodiment wherein the basepiece 20 comprises a skirt portion 21 and a collar portion 22 positionedin abutting relationship to the undercut of the pin in the mannerdescribed in connection with the base of FIG. 4; The base piece 20,shown in FIG. 7,'however,- has as an integral part thereof the head 23.The inside upper extremity of the collar portion of the unit inFlG. 7,it is' seen, is not shown with. V

the wedge arrangement designated 16 in FIG. 4. A struc ture of thiskind, i.e, with an inner locking Wedge 26 (similarto 16 in FIG. 4) is.illustrated by-base 24 in the assembled arrangement of FIG. 6(a).rnentary undercut configuration for the pin butt is shown in FIG.-6 inwhich like parts are designated by the numerals employed in FIG. 3,comprising the pin body 1 It may, for, example,

The comple serted between the base member 211' and the core 4. Uponexertion of firm pressure the deformable plastic flows into the lockinggroove 6. The direction of flow may be aided by a suitable wedgearrangement such as that shown as 16 in the unit of FIG. 4.

Referring'to the modification illustrated in FIGS. 8-10, a pin:base 39comprising a .skirt portion 31 and collar portion 32 is assembled with alocking ring 35 of substantially the same configuration as the lockingring 17, and inserted into the undercut of the pin 1. The bottom .37 ofthe locking ring 35 abuts the inwardly extending shoulder 33 of theportion forming the bottom of base 35. Prior to assembling thereintheupper portion 36 of the locking ring 35 is softened by heating or bysuitable chemical treatment so thatit flows under pressure. The twopiece assembly as a unit is then inserted into'the pin undercut so thatthe plastic locking ring flows into the locking groove 34 formed in theinner periphery and near thetop of base collar 32. In a like manner andat the same time, the upper portion 36.0f the locking ring, in aflowable conditiornfiows into the locking annular groove 39 formed atthe top and in the shank portion 4 of the pin 'butt.- It will beapparent that the locking groove 37 may be situated, if desired, at alower position but near the top of the shank 4. In the arrangementillustrated, the locking ring 35 is preferably made of a lower meltingcomposition so thatthe two members may be, if desired, first assembled.and upon heating the top 36 of the locking ring will be softened. to afiowable state but the top of collar 32 will remain rigid. Thereafterthe unit is inserted into the pin butt and pressed with suitablepressure with the undercut forming projecting core 4, the d0WI1- wardlyfacing groove designated 25 and the second or outer locking groovecomplementing the bead 23 in the base piece 20 designated as 28. Insecuring the base 20 of FIG. 7 or the base-24 of FIG. 6(a) intotheundercut, the base is inserted into, the undercut. of the base inabutting relationship in'the manner described in connec to effect flowof the plastic material into the grooves 34 and 3?. Increased plasticityof the upper extremity 36 of the locking ring may be effected bychemical treatment thereof employing, where the units 30 and 35 areassembled, a chemical softening agent substantially innocuous to therigidity of the composition of which base 30 is formed- J Each of thetWo members of the base insert is preferably prefabricated to produce asnug fit. Generally the members are sized so that the inside diameter ofthe locking ring is several mils (i.e. about2-15 mils) smaller than theoutside diameter of the core or shank inthe pin butt; the outsidediameter of the locking ring member several'mils larger than the insidediameter of the units it), 2% or 36 irrespective of the. wedge portionwhen er-ably slightly greater than the vertical distance from the bottomof the pin to the top shank or core formed in the pin butt sothat uponpress-fitting and locking a flush V arrangement results, However, wheredesired, the bottomof the inserted locking ring may be recessed from thebottom of the pin base. The preferred arrangement allows for thedeformed portion of'the ring taken up in filling the lockinggroove 6 andstill permits the bottom of the ring 17 to be flush with the pin bottom.In the undercut arrangement of FIG. 10, the locking ring 35-must be ofappropriate length to allow for the flow of resin into the lockinggrooves 34 and 37. V

' While the present invention is illustrated and described in connectionwith a specific arrangement, it should be understood that the inventionis not limited precisely to the structure illustrated and described butincludes modifications that are obvious to one skilled in the art in thelight of the inventive improvement herein provided.

I claimr' p 1. A bowling pin having its buttend provided with anundercut at the juncture of the bottom surfaceand the side surface ofthe pin forming thereby an outwardly projecting central core, saidundercut extending into the body of the pin adjacent said core forming adownwardly :facing annular groove, a circumferential locking groove insaid central core, an annular base of Wear resistant material in saidundercut, said base comprising an annular skirt portion .forming thejunction for the bottom and side of the pin and, integral with saidskirt portion, an upright collar portion encircling said core andextending into said annular groove and a deformed inner cylindrical ringmember positioned between said core and said annular base and forming atthe inner extremity thereof a rigid locking bead in said circumferentiallocking groove, said base being further provided with a shoulder beneathand abutting the bottom of the inner cylindrical member.

2. A bowling pin having its butt end provided with an undercut at thejuncture of the bottom surface and the side surface of the pin formingthereby an outwardly projecting central core, said undercut extendinginto the body of the pin adjacent said core forming a downwardly facingannular groove, a circumferential locking groove in said central core,an annular base of wear resistant material in said undercut, said basecomprising an annular skirt portion forming the junction for the bott-omand side of the pin and, integral with said skirt portion, an up- 6 1right collar portion encircling said core, said collar portion providedwith an an integral locking Wedge inside said collar at the upperextremity thereof, and a deformed inner ring member positioned betweensaid core and said annular base and forming, at the inner extremitythereof a rigid locking head in said circumferential locking groove, theupper end of said locking ring engaging the locking wedge of the collarportion and being deformed thereby into said circumferential lockinggroove.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,580,688 4/26Sheldon 273-82 1,585,123 5/26 Sheldon 273-82 1,718,309 *6/29 Sheldon273-82 2,680,023 6/54 'Elli 273-82 2,809,038 10/57 Scheidemantel et a1273-82 2,814,835 12/57 Faulkner 273-82 X 2,964,319 12/ Berry et a1.273-82 RICHARD C, PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. ELLIS E. FULLER, JAMES W.LOVE, Examiners.

2. A BOWLING PIN HAVING ITS BUTT END PROVIDED WITH AN UNDERCUT AT THEJUNCTION OF THE BOTTOM SURFACE AND THE SIDE SURFACE OF THE PIN FORMINGTHEREBY AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING CENTRAL CORE, SAID UNDERCUT EXTENDINGINTO THE BODY OF THE PIN ADJACENT SAID CORE FORMING A DOWNWARDLY FACINGANNULAR GROOVE, A CIRCUMFERENTIAL LOCKING GROOVE IN SAID CENTRAL CORE,AN ANNULAR BASE OF WEAR RESISTANT MATERIAL IN SAID UNDERCUT, SAID BASECOMPRISING AN ANNULAR SKIRT PORTION FORMING THE JUNCTION FOR THE BOTTOMAND SIDE OF THE PIN AND, INTEGRAL WITH SAID SKIRT PORTION, AND UPRIGHTCOLLAR PORTION ENCIRCLING SAID CORE, SAID COLLAR PORTION PROVIDED WITHAN INTEGRAL LOCKING WEDGE INSIDE SAID COLLAR AT THE UPPER EXTREMITYTHEREOF, AND A DEFORMED INNER RING MEMBER POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID COREAND SAID ANNULAR BASE AND FORMING, AT THE INNER EXTREMITY THEREOF ARIGID LOCKING BEAD IN SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL LOCKING GROOVE, THE UPPER ENDOF SAID LOCKING RING ENGAGING THE LOCKING WEDGE OF THE COLLAR PORTIONAND BEING DEFORMED THEREBY INTO SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL LOCKING GROOVE.